The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-05-13

small ward at the side of the cottage.
Elisha walked through this yard, and
saw a man living on the ground hear
the fence He had a clean shaven
face, was extremely thin, aud was
dressed after the Little Russian man.
ner-in Il white shirt and trowsers.
Apparently the man had lain down
in that place when it was shaded from
the sun; and though now its rays
were beating upon him, and he was
not asleep, he still lay there.
Elisha called to him, asking him
where he coald find water, but he did
not answer,
either the man is asleep or he is
sulky," thought Elisha. And he went
up to the door through which he
could hear the crying of children, and
knocked.
"Masters :" he called. There was no
answer. Again he beat on the door
with his pilgrims staff. Nothing stir
red. "Good Christian people" No
answer Servants of Cod Still
silence.
Elisha half thought of going away,
when from behind the door there
seemed to come sound Of groanng.
"Can anything have happened here |"
he said to himself. IL must 90 and
see." And he walked into the cot
tage.
".
Elisha raised the latch, the door WAS
unlocked, he gave it Il push, passed
through narrow passage, and saw that
the door of the living room was open.
He looked in. On one side of the
room was a stove: facing Elisha was
the usual corner with its sacred images
on the wall; hear the wall was a table,
and behind the table Il bench. An old
barelleaded woman, miserably clad III
one linen garment, sat on the bench
whith her head bent down on the ta-
Bile. Close to her Il sickly waxen-faced
boy kept pulling at her sleeve and
screaming with all his might, us if to
arouse her. Elisha entered the room );
the air was close and sitting. Behind
the stove he could not see a wide shelf,
which served as bed on it lay sick
woman. She did not stir or look up at
his approach, but from time to time her
body seemed to be conyulsed by pain
She had all the appearance of having
been utterly neglected.
Presently the old woman raised her
head and saw Elisha.
What do you want - she said. "We
have nothing here
Elisha understood what she said (the
woman spoke the Little Russian dialect,
whereas Elisha would speak like the
Great Russians), and went nearer.
Il was only wauted something to
drink, my good woman.
.'There is no one to fetch you water,
and We have nothing toput it in. You
had better go away.
Then Elisha began to question her.
SIS there no one among you strong
enough to attend to this poor woman ::
There is no one. The man is dying
outside the house, and we are dying
here.
On first seeing the stranger the little
boy had ceased crying, but when the
old woman began to speak he again
pulled at her sleeve.
Grandmother, grandmother, give
me bread =" he cried.
Elisha was going to ask some more
questions, when the peasant man stum-
bled into the hut. Helping himself
along bv the wall he tried to reach the
bench, but in the effort oyerbalanced
himself, fell heavily to the floor, and
made no attempt to rise. He tried to
speak, Jerking out one word after the
other, with long pauses between.
"Yes. -. We are i'll :. but
what is worse -. We are starving,
he said. "And here that one
is dying of hunger" nodding his head
in the direction of the boy, and begin
ming to cry.
Elisha freed his arms from his sack.
slipped down to the ground then
he lifted 1t on to the bench and un-
fastened it. He took out Il knife and
a loaf. cut off slice of bread and gave
it to the man. The man refused it,
but pointed to his children, saying,
''Giyc it to them.' Elisha stretched
it out to the boy, who threw himself
upon it. seized it with both hands, and
buried his face in the bread. The lit
tie girl crept out from behind the
stove and stared at the bread. Elisha
gave her slice also, and cut one for
the old woman. The poor old woman
tried to crllmble it.
"If you would fetch some water, she
said-"our mouths are dried up.
tried to 90 for water yesterday or to-
day cannot remember which.
drew the bucket ont of the well, but
could not carry it, split the water, and
fell down myself. l could hardly man.
age to creep home. But the bucket is
still there. if no one has carried it
away.